Strength to Carry On
by Woman of Rohan
Summary: A soon-to-be collection of vignettes focusing on Leon and Ashley and their struggle to survive the events of RE4.


**AN:** This is the first chapter of what will hopefully be a collection of vignettes focusing on Leon and Ashley throughout the course of Resident Evil 4. I was always left wanting to see more of them and their interaction together, so this is the inspiration behind me wanting to write this. A lot of similar stories have probably been written (I jumped on the RE fanfiction bandwagon a little late, I know) but I'd still like to try my hand at it. All major plot points will be canon, although artistic liberties will be taken on the moments that Leon and Ashley share in between the action that we see in the game, of course.

A couple more chapters are already written if people are interested, so I hope you enjoy this. Honestly, reviews inspire me (constructive criticism included) so please let me know how I'm doing. I appreciate it more than you can imagine! :)

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**Prayers and Promises**

A musty scent wafted into his nose as Leon entered the ancient church, with a prayer penetrating his thoughts so powerfully that he nearly allowed himself to speak the words out loud.

_Please, please… just let Ashley be okay. _

He found it deeply ironic that a prayer had come to mind shortly after stepping through the doorway, as there seemed to be no decent God among the people that he had encountered since his arrival in Europe. Within moments of getting aquainted with the inhabitants of the secluded village, Leon had realized that their religion was one of malice and corruption.

After an entire day of searching and slaughter, Leon had finally arrived at his desired destination: the church in which Ashley Graham was said to be imprisoned. Every moment had ticked away with a dire sense of urgency. Each singular second could be another step closer to disaster, to a failed mission, to the death of somebody whom he had never met personally, but swore to guard with his life under the direct order of the President himself. He had glanced at Ashley's picture often since receiving it during his mission briefing, with the President's own words still echoing in his conscience:

"That's my little girl. You bring her home safely to me, all right? I'm counting on you, Kennedy."

"I will, Mr. President," Leon had said, unflinching. "I promise you."

Their meeting had ended with a sincere handshake and the broken gaze of a man who had lost something truly precious to him. President Graham's words had been stern, resolute… but his eyes betrayed the turmoil that he undoubtedly must have been feeling. Leon had made such a promise with full intent on keeping it, and that promise was often reiterated to Ashley's photograph in the few quiet moments when he could breathe again. It established a connection between rescuer and subject, and it helped to keep his mind focused on his mission.

Perhaps with a little luck on his side, Ashley would no longer be just another face on a sheet of paper.

Walking further into the church, Leon stepped through the rows of pews and noticed an altar with the now-familiar insignia of the local cult standing ominously upon it. Fresh blood was pooling from beneath it and that sight alone made him even more anxious to locate Ashley as quickly as possible. For a moment, he morbidly wondered if it was Ashley's blood, and he quickly dismissed the thought from his brain. He had to remain optimistic.

Leon scanned his surroundings, searching for any passageways that might lead him to Ashley's whereabouts. The large and intricate stained-glass window behind the altar suddenly caught his eye, and it was then that he noticed the second level of the church. It was little more than a balcony with several doors looking down upon the main floor, but it seemed like a reasonable place to keep somebody locked away. To his left, he spotted a rickety ladder, and a few moments of exploration later, he was standing before an old wooden door.

_This could be it._

Leon didn't bother contemplating what would happen if he found that harm had come to Ashley. He simply could not fathom the possibility. If it came to that, then he would have no choice but to deal with the situation at hand. But for now, there was only this moment… this one singular moment that could dictate everything. So with a silent prayer still resounding in his head in unison with the pounding of his heart, he put his faith in fate or whatever divine being might be listening to him in such a Godless place.

_Just let her be okay… _

With one palm resting upon the knob of the door and his other hand grasping his fully-loaded handgun, he took a deep breath before opening the door ever so slowly…

… and was surprised to see a plank of wood flying directly at his head, accompanied by a panicked shriek. Leon narrowly missed being bludgeoned, but his fine-tuned reflexes kicked into gear and he locked eyes with his subject, speaking her name with a mixture of relief and concern.

"Ashley!"

_Thank God she's alive! _

"Don't come!"

"Hey!" he said, voice rising in pitch slightly. "Take it easy…"

Ashley took several steps away from him, backing herself into the far corner of the room as she frantically glanced around for anything else to use in her defense. She quickly grasped another plank of wood while Leon holstered his weapon, hoping that it would physically show that he had no intention of harming her.

"Don't step any closer!" she yelled, as she held the makeshift weapon at arms length. "Get away from me!"

Leon could see the wild terror in her eyes, could feel it emanating off of her as if it were something tangible. He knew the concept of fear well. He had felt it immensely on his first and only day as a rookie cop in the destruction of Raccoon City and he was not ashamed to admit, quite a few times since the start of his current mission . Throughout the years, he had seen the same terror on countless faces. Within moments, Leon could already tell that it was consuming Ashley like a disease.

"Calm down…" he said quietly. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."

Ashley observed him warily, still clutching the plank of wood as if her life depended on it.

"You're… not like the rest of them?"

"No," said Leon, and he noted that it was the second time he had been asked that very question throughout the course of the day. "I'm here to help you."

Ashley's hazel eyes searched his and she dropped the plank of wood, sinking into a vulnerable position between two barrels as Leon drew nearer to her. She sat with her knees pulled tightly to her chest as if to block herself from any harm, with her gaze fixed upon the filthy, wooden floor.

"Everything's going to be just fine," he soothed, as he sat down on his haunches. "My name's Leon. Leon Kennedy. And I'm under the President's order to rescue you."

At those words, Ashley's demeanor instantly changed from one of despair to one of hope. She lifted her head, now inches from Leon's face, with a flurry of emotions written upon her pallid features.

"What? My father sent you?"

"That's right," he nodded, offering a smile. "I'm here to make sure that you get back to your family safely and as soon as possible. Now, let's get you out of here… follow me."

Leon rose to his feet once again as he stretched a gloved hand towards Ashley. She gratefully took it, allowing him to aid her from the ground with ease. Leon took a few steps towards the door but then stopped when he realized that the only footsteps he heard were his own. He turned around to see Ashley standing motionless and looking quite bewildered as she toyed with the sleeves of the brown sweater hanging loosely around her neck.

"Ashley, are you all right?"

Leon knew for a fact that it was a stupid question given the current circumstances, but he had to be sure that she was fit for travel. He should have figured that Ashley's extraction wouldn't be as easy as he had initially hoped. There was no knowing how long she had been locked away or what had been done to her by the crazed villagers who snatched her away from her home. Leon felt sick to even consider it. Although Ashley looked physically unharmed, there was always the possibility of psychological trauma inflicted upon her… and from experience, Leon knew that it was often the most difficult kind to heal.

"I just… I thought that nobody would ever come for me," Ashley said quietly, as her voice wavered. She sounded much younger than her 20 years of age. "I thought I'd be stuck here forever. And now-"

She trailed off, choking on a sob, and for the first time since the beginning of his mission, Leon was unsure of what to do. Speaking promises to a photograph was far different than comforting a person standing right before him. He could tell that Ashley was trying to hold back her imminent tears for him, as she cupped her palm over her mouth in an attempt to squelch the emotion that threatened to escape her lips. Suddenly, he felt quite incapable of offering her the comfort that he knew that she desperately needed. He was about to take a step towards her when she threw her arms around his waist, clinging to him like a drowning person.

Immediately, the tears flowed forth and Leon allowed her to cry freely against his chest while he patted her on the back. The unexpected physical contact was only awkward for a moment, as Leon knew that Ashley needed some kind of reassurance after her days of captivity. Seeing her in such a fragile state only made him more eager to get her home safely. A fiercely protective urge was reignited within him, one of the qualities that made him want to pursue a life in law enforcement in the first place. Ashley was the epitome of the simple goal that had driven him since the very beginning:

_To protect those who cannot protect themselves._

"Hey, it's okay," Leon said at last, when Ashley finally seemed to calm. "You're safe now."

She took in a great heaving breath as if to compose herself, and pulled away from him for a moment to look him in the face.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I can't help it. It just…it feels so good to be found. I was starting to lose hope... and then you showed up… and I'm just so happy that you found me."

Ashley once again looked to be on the verge of tears but she merely sniffled, wiping her watery eyes on the back of her hand while she uttered a meek "thank you."

"Hey," said Leon. "That's one thing you'll never have to do. Okay?"

He gave her another smile as Ashley nodded, and Leon placed a hand upon her shoulder as a simple declaration that he understood her plight. There were so many things that he wanted to tell her in that moment, so many words that he could have said to reassure her that he would protect her with his life, despite what troubles they might face… but Leon sensed that they had dwelled too long in the Godforsaken church, and he had the niggling feeling that somebody was already aware of Ashley's rescue. Despite the civility that he wished he could show, he knew that they had to get a move on.

"Ashley," Leon said, with a comforting hand still upon her shoulder. "We have to get out of here. Are you ready?"

He stared into her eyes with what he hoped was a reassuring expression, and to his relief, Ashley mustered a smile amidst the tears that were still glistening upon her cheeks.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Let's go."

Without another word, Leon took Ashley's hand within his own, leading her out of her prison with a prayer answered, and a promise to fulfill.

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**AN:** If you were bored with this chapter, I do apologize. I assure you, the other chapters are more original and less reliant upon dialogue and events that are actually in the game. I could have technically started with the second chapter, but I felt that Leon and Ashley meeting was an important moment that I wanted to touch upon. I hope you stick around for chapter two! :)


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